


Trust

by Patricia_Sage



Series: Crushed [2]
Category: The Adventure Zone (Podcast)
Genre: Birthday Party, Chronic Pain, Comfort, Disabled Taako (The Adventure Zone), Emotional Hurt/Comfort, F/M, Gen, Good Friend Magnus Burnsides, Good Sibling Lup (The Adventure Zone), Hurt Taako (The Adventure Zone), Hurt/Comfort, IPRE Crew | Starblaster Crew as Family, Kravitz Loves Taako (The Adventure Zone), M/M, Mild Hurt/Comfort, Post-Episode: e067-069 Story and Song Parts 1-3, Protective Kravitz (The Adventure Zone), Protective Lup (The Adventure Zone), Protective Magnus Burnsides, Taako Angst (The Adventure Zone), Taako Character Study (The Adventure Zone)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-30
Updated: 2020-11-30
Packaged: 2021-03-09 21:42:20
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,033
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27793258
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Patricia_Sage/pseuds/Patricia_Sage
Summary: Magnus gives Taako a cane for his birthday.
Relationships: Barry Bluejeans/Lup, Kravitz & Lup (The Adventure Zone), Kravitz/Taako (The Adventure Zone), Lup & Taako (The Adventure Zone), Magnus Burnsides & Lup, Magnus Burnsides & Merle Highchurch & Taako, Magnus Burnsides & Taako
Series: Crushed [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2032531
Comments: 11
Kudos: 103





	Trust

Magnus gives Taako a cane for his birthday.

The fighter smiles. “Hey, what’s a wizard without a staff?” A staff…right. “People are so used to seeing you with the umbrella but since that’s, uh, broken now, you looked like you needed an accessory.”

It’s beautiful. Magnus clearly spent a lot of time on it. The staff is curved and ornate, the colour of the midnight sky, with gems set deeply in the wood like stars. A fist-sized, purple orb is nestled in the top, surrounded by delicate, wooden tendrils. Taako experimentally sends a jolt of magic through the staff and the orb glows a faint gold.

But Taako can tell by how sturdy it is that it was meant for more than just looking badass and casting spells. It’s the perfect height to lean on casually, to use as a walking stick dramatically. And Taako knows that Magnus sees right through him.

Ever since Wonderland, since Taako’s body got crushed by a washing machine and he almost died, the wizard has felt a pain deep in his bones that Merle was unable to heal. If he stands or walks for too long, it flares up in his joints and he needs to rest. Taako has been hiding it from the others, playing it off as if he’s just a lazy, lounging wizard when he needs a break. “Taako’s good out here,” he says confidently, and they leave him to his business. He hasn’t told anyone about the pain, not even Kravitz. But it seems Magnus rolled pretty high on his perception check.

Taako remembers a few moments that seem odd and convenient in retrospect. A few months ago, they were in charge of bringing Merle to his very cool, surprise birthday party. But it was a pretty long hike from the town to the beach and Taako felt the pain flare up in his hip. He wasn’t going to make it. Just as he was about to think of an excuse to Blink ten feet ahead, he felt himself lifted by a pair of strong arms. Taako protested colourfully but Magnus didn’t put him down. “I’m getting out of shape since we saved the world, boys. Gotta train when I can.” Then Magnus scooped up a laughing Merle under his other arm and began jogging down to the beach.

Magnus knows Taako needs help. But he also knows that the wizard doesn’t want anyone to see his weakness. So, he made this cane as practical and flashy as possible, a weapon and a fashion statement, something nobody will question when they see it in his hands. Taako feels his heart fill up and warm in his chest. But when he looks up, he gives Magnus his flashiest smile. “This is fucking rad, my man, thank you.”

Magnus smiles back and then turns to Lup. “And for you! I made that thing that you’ve been hinting at me to make for months. It’s in the backyard.”

“Fuck yes!” Lup says and runs outside. Everyone else looks at each other uncertainly.

Davenport speaks up, “Is it something she’s going to be bringing back in, or…?”

“Oh, yeah, no –” Magnus replies, but he’s cut off by Lup yelling from the backyard.

“For seven birds y’all fly real fuckin slow!”

They exit Magnus’s house in a meandering line. Taako experimentally puts his weight on the staff as he walks. The shape is sturdy and stable, and the height of it masks the fact that Taako is using it as a cane. He probably looks badass as hell. And the aching in his joints is still there, but more manageable than without the support.

Magnus is looking down at him with a tentative and genuine smile. Taako reaches over and places his hand over Magnus’s large forearm. The wizard isn’t usually one to initiate contact and Magnus (the king of physical affection) takes full advantage of the moment. He gently places his heavy arm around Taako’s shoulder and squeezes.

Magnus has built a gigantic shuffleboard in the backyard. Merle whoops in excitement. Lup is already set up and ready to kick Barry’s ass. “Thank you, Magnus!” she calls, blowing him a kiss. Magnus chuckles.

“You did good, big guy. How’d you know what to get her?” Taako asks sarcastically. They sit on the grass to watch the game.

“Just a hunch,” Magnus replies. Over the last few months, Lup had been leaving sticky-notes on Railsplitter, writing the words in mustard on an open-faced sandwich, and whispering into his ear when he was fast asleep. _Giant Shuffleboard_.

A few energetic and slightly violent games later, a rift tears open near the side of the house. Kravitz steps through, his skull gradually covering over with dark skin and transforming into a handsome face.

“The boss finally let you go!” Lup calls from across the lawn.

“Finally,” Kravitz replies. “Happy birthday, Lup.” She gives him a wink.

“You look good, babe. A skele-ten-out-of-ten,” Taako says as Kravitz settles down the grass next to him.

“Good one,” Kravitz chuckles. He gently holds the side of Taako’s face in his hand and kisses his freckled cheek. “Happy birthday, love.” Kravitz notices the staff on the ground between Taako and Magnus. “What’s this?”

Taako places the staff in his boyfriend’s cold hands and Kravitz inspects it with an impressed expression. He looks up and across Taako, making eye contact with Magnus. Kravitz raises his eyebrows in a silent question. Magnus nods. Taako interrupts.

“Okay, I don’t know what _this_ is,” he protests, waving his hands between the two of them, “but make it stop.”

The Seven Birds and the Grim Reaper play giant shuffleboard and eat and laugh until the sun sets.

The twins walk together back to the house. Taako holds Lup’s hand in his left and the staff in his right. His sister looks at his gift appreciatively and then gives Magnus a thumbs up. There’s a certain look in her eyes that Taako is just now beginning to recognize.

Now that he thinks to roll investigation, Taako realizes he hasn’t been hiding things as well as he intended to.

It doesn’t bother him as much as he thought it would.

**Author's Note:**

> Reviews are always appreciated! I love to hear your thoughts!


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